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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29227188">Green Mist and a White Dress</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Easily_Obsessed/pseuds/Easily_Obsessed'>Easily_Obsessed</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mentalist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Anxiety, Confessions, Courage, Emotional Baggage, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Jisbon, Love, Love Confessions, Night Before The Wedding, Romantic Friendship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:27:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,759</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29227188</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Easily_Obsessed/pseuds/Easily_Obsessed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>AU.</p><p>Teresa Lisbon did leave and moved to DC to marry Marcus Pike. It is the night before the wedding, she is still trying to write her vows getting frustrated and Patrick Jane is elsewhere, distracted, thinking of nothing else but her. Can he build up the courage to be honest with her? To declare how he really feels. And will she accept whatever she hears? This is his last chance.</p><p>Set just after the end of season six. Contains some strong language.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Patrick Jane &amp; Teresa Lisbon, Patrick Jane/Teresa Lisbon, Teresa Lisbon/Marcus Pike</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Green Mist and a White Dress</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is something that I am actually quite proud of. I really enjoyed creating it, I find writing very cathartic and at the moment life is stressful so it is just what I need. It ended up being longer than I expected but oh well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it (if not more).</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Since receiving the notecard in the post, Jane has spent a lot of his time staring at it blankly, not quite believing what it says. Silly really, when he knew this would happen if she left with him. It is an invitation for Lisbon’s wedding to Agent Marcus Pike, an FBI agent specialising in art theft. They worked on a case together, one that Jane stupidly decided he wanted to help on, and now barely six months later they are getting married in DC where they now live.</p><p>As soon as he found out that she was leaving, he froze her out. It was noticeable to everyone but especially her and it caused upset. She thought he was being selfish and told him as much but actually he was trying to do the opposite. Thought that if he became cold with her then she would find it easier to leave and that she wouldn’t worry about him. It sort of worked.</p><p>Agent Teresa Lisbon did find it easier to leave. Any romantic thoughts she had about the consultant did seem to disappear and she felt the urge to run away with Marcus even more. Perhaps out of revenge? Maybe.</p><p>However, this does not mean her brain isn’t occupied with thoughts about him. Worries. Although her job is just as busy in DC as it was in Austin, she still has time to wonder how he is coping, working without her. She doesn’t expect him to keep the job up, she knows it isn’t all that important to him and that he was only persevering with it because of her. But that was part of the problem.</p><p>She felt like a convenience to him, something she told him in a heated exchange before flying away. They have barely communicated since.</p><p>He left her a voice mail to apologise for his behaviour and wished her luck because he genuinely wants her to be happy. She texted him in response to tell him its water under the bridge and tried to tell him the positives of where she is living – bustling city life and good food – but he never responded.</p><p>
  <em>You are invited to the wedding of:</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Teresa Lisbon &amp; Marcus Pike</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Venue:</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>St. Peter’s Church on Capitol Hill,</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>313 2<sup>nd</sup> St SE, Washing, DC 20003</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Date:</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Friday 18<sup>th</sup> November 2016</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Time:</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>3:00 pm </em>
  </strong>
  <em>(followed by food and drink at the “Hawk N Dove”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Please RSVP.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Jane hasn’t RSVP’d. Reading over the “save the date” card once more, whilst sat on a hotel bed, he wonders how many people have actually been invited. She doesn’t strike him as the kind of girl who would want a big wedding with all the little eccentricities that can bring.</p><p>Work hasn’t been the same without her. It all seems so pointless when she isn’t there. Cho, Abbott, Fischer and Wylie are all good people, but none of them are Lisbon. He knows that if he isn’t feeling the passion then he should just quit but, in all honesty, what else would he do?</p><p>When Wylie appeared that rainy Tuesday morning, holding a stack of small envelopes for the team, Jane just knew what it was before even opening it. It felt like a knife to the back, but he had no right to feel that way.</p><p>He had his chance, many in fact, but he was too much of a coward to take it.</p><p>Turning over the invite, he glances over her scrawl on the white card. No-one else had an additional message written on theirs, when the young agent spotted the blank ink, he made some comment about Jane being special which raised a few eyebrows. He cannot remember what he said in response, but he did walk out of there and didn’t return for the rest of the day.</p><p>
  <em>I know weddings aren’t your thing and I won’t be offended if you don’t come…but I wanted to invite you anyway. I hope you’re okay.</em>
</p><p>She hopes he is okay…what does that even mean? Patrick runs his fingers through his curls out of frustration and chucks the card to the other side of the bed. A knock then resounds through the door making him sigh. That will be Cho.</p><p>They travelled to DC together, the unit couldn’t be without all of their personnel, but they let them go; they have known Lisbon the longest after all. In the taxi drive from the airport to their hotel, Cho mentioned that their old friends and colleagues, Wayne Rigsby and Grace Van Pelt have invited them for dinner but now it has got to it, he really doesn’t feel like it.</p><p>--------------------</p><p>Pike wanted a proper wedding. Nothing too crazy but much bigger than she would have preferred; she wants to keep him happy. When she suggested getting married down at city hall and finding a couple of witnesses from work, he looked so disappointed. He suspected that she wasn’t as serious about this as he was.</p><p>So Lisbon gave in. They’re now getting married in a church and having food at a decent restaurant down the road, all in the presence of around fifty guests – most of them are people he invited.</p><p>There is going to be flowers and music and she has a wedding dress that seemed to cost more than her first car. He told her that he had written personal vows to her, so she has felt the need to do the same, but it is the night before and she has hardly got anywhere. How can she write vows for a man she has known for less than a year?</p><p>When they were sending out the invites, her fiancé asked her if she was going to invite the illustrious Patrick Jane. She got the feeling that he didn’t want her too, but she did anyway. In hope more than anything. She doesn’t think he is coming, if he is then a lecture about responding to invitations is definitely needed.</p><p>Her guests include her old CBI pals Cho, Rigsby, Van Pelt, as well as her ex-superior Agent Virgil Minelli. There aren’t countless more colleagues from that particular walk of life that she thought needed inviting, too many of the people who she was close to sadly passed. It is a wicked profession at times. She will raise a glass for them tomorrow.</p><p>Today has been spent rushing around, trying to get her family settled in their various hotels. Two of her brothers accepted her invite – Tommy didn’t bother to reply – but Stan and Jimmy have brought their clans with them. A lot of people, all with different needs and requirements.</p><p>Marcus tried his best to help but he has his own family to deal with. He has now left his future spouse to it in their flat having decided to stay in a hotel for the night. Something about it being bad luck to see her before the wedding… she wasn’t really listening.</p><p>Teresa is glad to have the night to herself. One more night of freedom.</p><p>--------------------</p><p>“She is teething at the moment.”</p><p>“Keeps us awake at all hours.” The ex-agent interrupts his redheaded wife who takes a gulp of her wine. “This is a nice break.” Rigsby receives a slap from Van Pelt at this comment. The pair are telling stories about their daughter to their old colleagues. It is nice to see them at all, especially so happy, but Jane really isn’t in the mood for socialising.</p><p>A waiter swoops by to ask if they are ready to order their food but notices the blonde man is still reading through the menu so decides to give them longer. The truth is that he doesn’t fancy anything to eat and right now all the words on the page just look like a jumble of letters. “So, what is this Pike guy like?” Grace asks, she was shocked when the invitation came through the post, she had no idea her old supervisor was even dating anyone.</p><p>“Oh you know what these art types are like…” The curly-haired man mutters, not looking up from his menu. “Ostentatious, radiates overconfidence and persistently intense.”</p><p>Hearing this response from his friend, Cho frowns. “Have you even met Pike?” It is a rhetorical question, and sarcastically phrased. “He seems like a good man. Knows what he wants and treats Lisbon well which is the main thing.” The couple smile at this, but it looks slightly uneasy thanks to the poor mood of one man at the table. “And anyway, he isn’t an artist, he just works for the art squad.”</p><p>The couple quickly realise that any questions about Agent Marcus Pike, it is best not to ask Jane them. His mood is prickly, and it doesn’t take a genius to work out why. Well, that’s what Grace thought but then her husband comments, “Must be weird. Working without her.” The mentalist shrugs and makes a sort of non-committed sound. “I always thought you two would end up together.”</p><p>And there it is. Some things are best left unsaid especially in this moment. The redhead sends daggers to Rigsby who immediately shrinks back into his seat, but Jane manages to stay composed. “Interesting theory.” He mumbles and then swigs back his wine.</p><p>The awkwardness that has settled amongst them is baffling to Cho, it had never occurred to him that there was anything between his old boss and the consultant until now. “I wonder what Lisbon is doing tonight.” He changes the subject, trying to shift the focus from the curly-haired man whose eyes are fixated on the table in front of him; not on his friends who are quickly regretting this particular meetup.</p><p>“I messaged her earlier to ask if she wanted company for tonight.” Van Pelt reveals. “She turned down my offer. She is having a pamper night to herself because Marcus is staying in a hotel.”</p><p>On hearing this, Jane’s ears prick up as an idea forms in his head. He is about to ask for more information, when their waiter decides that he has deferred enough time to take their order. “Actually…I think I’m going to head back to the hotel.” The blonde man announces before lightly coughing. “I’ve got a tickle in my throat and I’m not hungry.”</p><p>“That’s a shame.” Grace replies but amongst the concern there is an air of suspicion in her tone. “I’m sure Ben can organise you a cab.”</p><p>Ben is their waiter, whose patience is wearing thin. He has delayed taking the table’s order until this man was ready to order and now he is leaving? Not only is that irritating, but his potential tip has got smaller too. “No, it’s fine. I will sort it.” Patrick brushes away the offer, “Thank you Ben though.”</p><p>--------------------</p><p>After leaving the restaurant and his friends – who will inevitably now gossip about his foul mood – he decided to walk back to his hotel. He felt like he needed the air, to clear his head, so he doesn’t make any rash decisions. Knowing that she is alone tonight, makes it so tempting to go over and talk to her, but he wouldn’t know what to say. He doesn’t know what he wants.</p><p>That’s the conclusion he came to but when he got back to his room and saw the invitation on his bed, all rationality flew out of the window. He has to see her. This is his only chance before she gets married to <em>him</em>.</p><p>Jane took a look at the notecard, searching for her address, before phoning down to reception requesting a taxi. He didn’t know what he was expecting with her new place, an apartment in a skyrise block in the middle of the city; it strikes him that she would be much more comfortable in a condo like her old place back in Austin.</p><p>This doesn’t seem like Lisbon. DC. It feels to him that she just wanted companionship and didn’t care where she found it, and he could have maybe given it to her. If he wasn’t such a coward.</p><p>Is he still a coward? Well, he has just knocked on her door, but it depends on what he says which makes him a coward (or not).</p><p>When she hears the knock on the door Teresa furrows her brow, wondering who it could be. Yes, tomorrow is her wedding day which means her guests are in the vicinity, but she wouldn’t have thought anyone would turn up unannounced. It would take someone with questionable people skills to do something like that.</p><p>Before the knock, she was sat at her kitchen table trying to write her vows for tomorrow and not getting anywhere. Maybe she could just wing it, she thinks, before putting down her pen and walking up to the door. She doesn’t think to peer through the peep hole before opening it, if she did then perhaps she could have prepared herself better, so she didn’t look so shocked when answering. “Jane?” She almost questions, like she cannot quite believe her eyes.</p><p>“Hey Lisbon.” There is a slight tremor in his tone, and he is evidently nervous, which just confuses her further. Months of silence and he is here now? The day before her wedding? “Can I come in?”</p><p>Her response isn’t verbal, she steps to one side letting him into her apartment before shutting the door behind him. He looks good…of course he looks good. Dressed in his usual suit but he’s included a vest, an item of clothing he has hardly worn since returning from incarceration. Lisbon loves those vests. Whenever she sees anyone wear one, it reminds her of him – she had to stop Pike from wearing one for their wedding. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“I’m here for your wedding.” He replies, like it is the most obvious answer in the world.</p><p>“You didn’t RSVP.”</p><p>“No, I…” He tries to think up an excuse, but none comes, so instead he decides to apologise. “Sorry.” Which surprises her. A difficult silence falls between and he anxiously starts to scrabble for something to say. “We were at dinner… Cho and me with Rigsby and Van Pelt. It felt weird that you weren’t there.”</p><p>The brunette’s mind is blank, she is still trying to compute that he is here at all after no word for ages. He is here for her wedding? She never expected him to come, she invited him as a courtesy. “Why are you here, Jane? Really?”</p><p>Of course, she thinks there is something else going on, this isn’t just a casual social call and they both know it, but he doesn’t know what to say. He can’t just ask her not to marry Pike when he has no reasoning behind it. “I just had to see you. I don’t really know why.”</p><p>“You had months to come and see me. To just pick up the phone and talk to me.” Her comments are harsh but correct, he has had months but in typical Patrick Jane fashion he leaves everything to last minute. “But you choose the night before I get married.” She shakes her head and exhales sharply; he has only been here for a matter of minutes, but her blood pressure has already increased.</p><p>He understands why she is frustrated because he shares those frustrations. Patrick is more annoyed at himself than she could ever be at him. “I’m sorry.” He apologises once more, and if she weren’t feeling so dumbfounded then she would make some witty comment about how she should be honoured to receive multiple apologies from him in one night. “I just want to chat.”</p><p>“So, are you saying that there is no ulterior motive as to why you are here?” Despite her annoyance at his impromptu visit, a part of her wants him to say yes, and she hates herself for that. She tells herself that it is pre-wedding nerves.</p><p>“I meant what I said, I don’t really know why I am here.” His blue eyes which she has seen sparkle on so many occasions seem dull, without energy, highlighted by the black bags underneath them. The man who finds it so difficult to sleep, is sleeping even less than usual. “Although, I cannot promise that a hidden reason won’t surface.”</p><p>Lisbon appreciates his candidness. To think of all the times she has wanted him to be honest but he hasn’t, but here is and she is nervous about the prospect of him expelling honesty. “Drink?” She offers as she walks away from him and towards the kitchen.</p><p>He is glad that she seems to have calmed down and that she is open to converse with him, it makes him relax a little. “Er yes, tea would be good, if you have it?”</p><p>“I meant something stronger.” She replies like it is obvious and warning bells resound in his skull, this along with the already drained wine glass on the table. Drinking on your own the night before your wedding is not a good sign.</p><p>Whilst she pours him a generous glass of red and refills her own, Jane takes in his surroundings. The apartment has very modern furnishings and everything looks to be fairly new, the colour scheme is mainly monochrome but there are flashes of colour, mainly red and navy, it is stylish. Many would love to live in a place like this but what stands out to him is the lack of a woman’s touch. It looks like a bachelor’s pad. Yes, she has only lived there a couple of months but there are really no traces that this could be her home, nothing.</p><p>The sound of her chair scraping back on the wooden floor grabs his attention as she returns to sitting at the kitchen table. He notices the second glass positioned in front of her, so goes to sit down. “It is a lovely place. Very modern.”</p><p>“Thank you. Marcus designed it.” As he thought.</p><p>It is not as if he would expect a place which belonged to her to be full of floral patterns and pink, but he knows that this isn’t her. This is a woman who relishes the comfort of home when she is away from work, any free time she has she likes to spend on the couch just relaxing. This doesn’t look like a place where she could relax.</p><p>His attention diverts to the items scattered across the table. An assortment of pens and scrunched up pieces of paper, it doesn’t take a genius to realise the frustration that has been felt here. “Shopping lists?” He tries to joke, while indicating to the mess and she tries to laugh but it sort of comes out as a staggered sigh.</p><p>“No…I’ve been trying to write my vows…for tomorrow.”</p><p>“Wow.” He cannot hide his disbelief that she would leave something so monumental this late in the day.</p><p>Does Teresa Lisbon thrive under pressure? In his experience, if she has to, then yes she does. It is one of the reasons why she is so good at her job, but another major reason is that she is organised and does not leave stuff until the last minute. Until now. She is procrastinating and Teresa Lisbon does not procrastinate.</p><p>What he wants to do, is to tell her why this is all one big mistake. He wants to explain to her some of the potential reasons behind her procrastination and how it doesn’t bode well for her future as Special Agent Teresa Pike. But he also wants to be a good friend and obey her wishes of not causing shit the day before her wedding. He is going to try not to. “What have you got so far? Maybe I can help.”</p><p>The thought of Patrick Jane helping her with wedding vows makes her want to crawl up inside herself and hide. This shouldn’t be happening. “Nothing really. Just some clichéd stuff.” </p><p>“There is nothing wrong with clichéd.” He shrugs and twirls his wine glass around by the stem, a way to displace his nervous energy. “As long as it is from the heart.”</p><p>“That’s the problem.” She admits sorrowfully and stares into the pool of maroon liquid inside her glass. “My heart isn’t being much help.”</p><p>Seeing her like this, with such little confidence and no spring her step makes him sad. This is not the woman who he worked with for so long, who he thought about day in and out whilst on the island, this is not the same woman that left him in Austin. He may want to be her friend, to support her through her choices but he also has to be that friend to tell her she is making a mistake. “You barely know him.”</p><p>The four words sound so harsh, and the bluntness of them force her to look up and straight at him. Her expression is a mix of sadness and resentment but there is also a hint of relief. Someone has said what needed to be said. “He is a good man.” She finds herself saying.</p><p>“I’m not saying he isn’t.” He really isn’t. Despite how rude Jane was about Marcus Pike earlier when talking to his friends, he doesn’t think the agent is a bad man, he just feels threatened by him. Somehow, he managed to swoop in and take Lisbon away from him in no time at all. “I think he is a safe option and I’m worried that’s why you’re marrying him. Not because you love him.”</p><p>“I like him.”</p><p>“I know you do.” His voice is low, and he is trying his hardest to keep it that way. “But do you love him?”</p><p>So much for him not coming here to cause trouble. It has become quickly apparent to her that despite what he said, he did have an ulterior motive to coming here and she is angry at him for that; but she is angrier at herself because he is right. “How does anyone know what love is?”</p><p>Her question depresses him. “You know love when you feel it.”</p><p>What is love? Scientists would say it is just hormones stemming from the brain: dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. These chemicals can make us feel high, euphoric and filled with energy which are some of the feelings experienced when attraction forms to another human being.</p><p>Although this is all fact, it takes the romance away from the word love but there are other ways of looking at it. Being in love is like seeing colours for the first time. A bland, washed-out world is suddenly ignited with life and excitement that makes your entire body and mind buzz. It’s feeling time fly when you’re with that special person and that almighty sense of loss when they’re not around.</p><p>The person you love occupies your brain more often than not and you find everything they do fascinating and notice when something changes. That time they wear their hair differently, even if it is a slight change, you are aware of it without them even mentioning; and if they start to behave differently around you, anxiety creeps in, wondering if it is because you have done something wrong or if they have gone off you.</p><p>If you love someone, their presence is medicine during dark times and their laughter becomes that song you cannot get enough of and want to listen to on repeat. Then there is that desire, that lust, that need to be close to them as much as possible. Maybe for cuddles on the couch or something a little more heated in the bedroom, but them not being around would make your heart sink.</p><p>When they talk, you want to listen, transfixed by what they say but also the mannerisms they use to accompany their drawl. You would notice the little things, almost like realising what someone’s tell is in a game of poker.</p><p>Jane realises he is rambling so awkwardly comes to a stop. He nervously looks up from the table, which he has been staring at, and into her green eyes which have glossed over with unshed tears. The way he speaks so eloquently about love not only makes Lisbon’s heart pang but makes her realise that these aren’t feelings she experiences when with Marcus – the man who she is due to marry tomorrow. “Excuse me.” She mutters as she pushes back her chair and scurries away towards the bathroom.</p><p>Once safely inside with the door locked shut behind her the tears begin to spill. Her mother used to say that crying cleans the soul and that you shouldn’t be scared about letting it all out. A career working predominantly around men whose emotions are bound by harsh stereotypes has made her feel ashamed about being so emotive.</p><p>She cannot remember the last time she cried in front of anyone. The last occasion that springs to mind was when she let down her walls, allowing Jane to hypnotise her and then getting upset when it didn’t work, but that was many years ago. And she pushed him out. Asked him to leave.</p><p>It feels like she has needed this, to be able to break down weeping. She slides down against door and pulls her knees into her chest, trying to mask the sobs escaping her lips. Her body shakes and chest heaves as the realisation hits her of the hole that she has dug for herself. Tomorrow she is marrying a man she has known for less than a year.</p><p>He waits in her kitchen somewhat patiently, sipping at his wine and twiddling his thumbs. A familiar anxious feeling increases the longer he waits, when almost ten minutes pass, he decides to go and find her; luckily, he is used to snooping around people’s houses.</p><p>Other than the open plan kitchen/living space, there are three other rooms in the apartment, two bedrooms and a bathroom which is decent for a place so central in the city. Pike must be doing alright to be able to afford something like this, the mentalist thinks, and wonders if maybe he would in fact be good for his friend.</p><p>Three of the main goals of life are to have a steady job, a place to live and someone who loves you, and Lisbon has all three. Would he really want to take that away from her?</p><p>The sound of snivel coming from a closed room forces him to snap out of his thoughts. “Lisbon? Are you okay?” He calls through the door after a light knock, not wanting to startle her.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m okay.” She claims, but he can hear the upset in her voice. “I will be out in a minute.”</p><p>She holds her breath, listening for the sound of him walking away from the other side of the door but it doesn’t come. He is computing what to do next. The respectful course of action would be to do what she asked and walk away… but as a friend he can’t do that. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”</p><p>Teresa closes her eyes at these words and sighs, her head gently thudding back on the wood. Hearing the noise, he realises how she is positioned on the other side of the door so decides to sit down also and lean up against it. “I know you didn’t, I just don’t know what to do.” She sounds so defeated and it makes his heart ache.</p><p>“The great thing though is that it is your choice. No-one can make you do anything.”</p><p>“But I don’t know what to choose!” There is now fire in her voice, as she groans and pulls at her dark hair.</p><p>In the past, she has made some unbelievably difficult decisions look easy, like matters of life or death, which she would have to make on behalf of other people but now she has been floored when she has to make a decision about her own life. She needs a supervising agent right now but instead she has Patrick Jane.</p><p>He has gone quiet now, trying to think up of what to say but right now nothing obvious is coming to him. He wants her to be happy, that’s all he wants. “If you want to get married then do it and I will be there to support you.” Earlier, he was selfish and thinking of himself but now, he knows that she has to decide on the verdict. “But if you don’t then that’s okay, I am here for you. To help.”</p><p>“Is that it? You want to help me?” The questioning may sound punitive and are perhaps overly direct, but she doesn’t mean it in a negative way. Lisbon is giving him a chance to express his feelings, express his honesty, express his truth; something she was so nervous about when he arrived.</p><p>Patrick thinks about her inquiries with much though, biting his bottom lip as he does so without even thinking about it. Is that all he wants, to help her? What does help even mean? If she says the wedding is on, is he going to help her with the wedding vows? Or to help her keep her future mother-in-law busy tomorrow so she doesn’t bother her?</p><p>If she says the wedding is off, is he going to be the shoulder to cry? Or be the person who tells the guests that no-one is getting married? The egocentric truth is that he wants to be the reason why Pike and Lisbon do not wed. “Jane?” He has been silent too long and now she is panicking, maybe he doesn’t think of her like that after all.</p><p>“Sorry. I was thinking.” He quickly apologises and she breathes a sigh of relief. “Is helping you through this all I want to do? No, it isn’t, and I think you know that.” Did she know that? Maybe suspected but certainly didn’t know. Despite spending her life doing detective work, she has poor people skills when it comes to her personal business. “But I don’t think it is an appropriate thing to say the night before your wedding.”</p><p>Jane thinking about what is appropriate or not… oh how he has changed. When he first started working at the CBI, it was a fulltime job for her and team to continually educate him on what is and what isn’t appropriate.</p><p>The brunette slowly gets up off the tiled floor, the shuffling sound of her movements make him stand up also. There is a click as the door is unlocked and she opens it to find her friend dusting down his suit. When he looks up at her he cannot hide his sadness at her upset. Her eyes are red, puffy, and there are tear stains trailing down her cheeks.</p><p>He wants to hug her and tell her that everything will be alright, but he also knows her, and knows she won’t appreciate it. She needs the space. “Jane, I’m getting married tomorrow. This will be your last chance to say how you feel.”</p><p>The curly-haired man stands looking shellshocked at her frankness, his mouth agape. They have spent years verbally tip toeing around the topic of feelings, neither of them believing that it was necessary because they had an understanding of each other; it is almost like they know what the other is thinking. But now there is no time for shyness or hesitancy. She is right, this is his last opportunity to be nothing but truthful, this time tomorrow she will be Mrs Pike.</p><p>He begins to compose himself, after a few deep breaths and an awkward lick of his lips he dips his head in the direction of the living room, indicating for her to follow him. If he is going to be honest with her and reveal his true feelings, he isn’t going to do that in the doorway of a bathroom.</p><p>They sit down on the sleek leather couch which is so new that is yet to wear in and be that comfortable, the fabric feels stiff and whenever Lisbon sits on it, she misses his old couch. Jane opens his mouth to say something, but no words come out, instead he half groans before confessing, “I don’t know what to say.”</p><p>“The truth.” She needs to hear him say it, she needs a proper reason not to marry Marcus tomorrow because right now she thinks it is the right thing to do. “And don’t hold back.”</p><p>“The truth…” He trails and takes a deep breath as last second encouragement, hoping the large inhalation of oxygen will give him the confidence his needs. He looks down at his hands which are fidgeting in his lap thanks to feeling like a ball of anxiety. “The truth is I was silly thinking that me being an ass before you left would make things easier for the both of us. It just made you pissed off and me guilt-ridden.”</p><p>Once he starts, he feels his self-assurance increase so he snaps his head up to look at her, their eyes locked intensely. “The truth is that I was a coward for letting you shout at me and then leave. All I did was squeak a sorry. It was pitiful.” His head shakes, the disappointment he feels in himself showing clearly and she feels bad for that. She doesn’t want him to feel unhappy. “The truth is, I have been facing feelings that I didn’t know I was capable of experiencing again.”</p><p>This has been a hard truth for him to process. He remembers on his first visit to the CBI as a bereaved relative, after his wife and child died, the delightful Agent Steve Hannigan told him to move on with his life. Move away and start a new family. He remembers how disgusted he felt at this notion, he truly believed that he would never be able to feel a romantic love for another person ever in his life.</p><p>Now he is here, with Lisbon, and he no longer thinks like that. “I don’t know if I can give you what he can.” This is the first proper sign to her that he is proposing for them to spend their future together and it makes her heart beat a little faster at the thought. “I’m not saying that you should ditch Pike to be with me because I want you to be happy more than anything in the world.”</p><p>She has heard him say this multiple times, not just tonight but when she was going through the process of deciding about her move to DC. She appreciates that he is being so respectful but right now she needs him to be selfish. “But I would quite like to be the one, to be the person, who makes you happy because… I love you Lisbon. It scares me, but it is the honest truth.”</p><p>His voice cracks at the end of his sincere explanation but there is also this almighty sense of relief, and that’s made him emotional.</p><p>Lisbon feels euphoric. Her entire being is buzzing with sudden energy that has been created by his beautiful enlightenment on the situation. Involuntarily, her body begins to react, mainly by smiling…a lot of smiling…that has turned into a large grin putting his mind at ease. She hadn’t really realised how much she has been waiting for him to be so open and honest with her about them, about how he feels.</p><p>He is right, it is like seeing in colour for the first time. “I’m not going to marry Marcus.” Jane has been waiting for her to say something in response to his long drawl for a few minutes now and when she finally does, it is to bring him the best news he could hear in this moment, but he still can’t quite believe it.</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“I don’t love him.” She admits with a half nod of her head as if to add to her point.</p><p>It is funny to him that not so long ago she was asking him what love is and now she is certain that it isn’t what she is experiencing with Marcus Pike, but it also makes him nervous. “How do you know?”</p><p>Teresa shuffles closer to the FBI consultant who is beginning to look very unsure of himself like everything which has happened tonight has suddenly hit him. She notices this and decides to gently take a hold of his hands, the unexpected contact causes his breath to hitch in his throat as he awaits not-very-patiently for an answer to his question. “Because you know love when you feel it.”</p><p>This is exactly the same wording he used earlier and the fact she remembers it so clearly makes him swoon. He spouted a lot of jabber before, yet she can recite every single detail, that is very attractive to him because he talks a lot of shit. It would be nice to be with someone who can keep up with that.</p><p>What now? This is the question they ask each other, and it is met with blank expressions. Neither of them thought about this bit, the awkward moment after, when they have to decide what happens next.</p><p>They sit in silence for a few moments, their hands still linked, thinking over the possible next moves. Marcus has to be told of course, he is going to be devasted and she is not looking forward to that because despite everything, he is a good man, and she doesn’t want to wound him. Sadly, it is too often that the good men get hurt.</p><p>She would ring – and hope that it goes to answer phone – and explain why she can’t marry him. The mentalist would take this time to go back to his hotel and pack up his bag ready for the next steps. A week away sounds good, she has the time off because of her soon-to-be-cancelled honeymoon and he doesn’t care about work enough to give a damn about missing it. So that’s what they decide, they will pack some bags and runaway (for a week) to a location that currently isn’t even known to them.</p><p>The spontaneity is exciting albeit a little terrifying but right now, after his confession, she feels like she has all the courage in the world.</p><p>--------------------</p><p>Marcus Pike doesn’t pick up the phone. He turned off his cell to have some drinks in the hotel bar with his best man, celebrating his last night as an unmarried man, or so he thought.</p><p>Lisbon is somewhat thankful when she hears the answer machine tone but giving him a good explanation as to why she is calling off the wedding in under a minute is not really doable. But whatever she says, he is going to be upset and disappointed so there really isn’t much point sugar-coating it – that’s what she thinks anyway.</p><p>
  <em>Hi Marcus, it’s Teresa. I’m really sorry but I cannot do this. I can’t get married to you tomorrow, it is all too quick and is not right for me. We barely know each other, and I have realised that I miss my old life too much. DC isn’t for me and I don’t think this relationship is either. I am going to take off for a week, we can talk when I get back. I know I sound selfish and cowardly, but I guess that’s what I am. You are a good guy and there is someone better out there for you, someone with less baggage and who is not so emotionally broken. Tell the guests whatever you want even if it makes me look like a bitch I don’t care. I’m sorry for leaving this to you and for being such a shit person. I’m so sorry. Hurting you was never my intention.</em>
</p><p>--------------------</p><p>When Jane rushes into the lobby of his hotel, ready to dart up the stairs and pack up his stuff to leave, he is floored by the sight of his friends and old colleagues sat at a table. Cho must have invited them back for a drink, he apprehends, on noticing their shorts of whiskey. If he hadn’t frantically entered the foyer then perhaps, he could have snuck past without them noticing, but their calls make him realise that he hasn’t been so lucky. “Where have you been?” Cho asks, his brow furrowed in confusion.</p><p>The blonde wanders up to the table nonchalantly but doesn’t sit down in the empty seat, not wanting this to take long. He has places to be. “Lisbon’s. The wedding is off.” He states simply earning some shocked expressions and sounds from the group.</p><p>Van Pelt cries a, “What?!” just as her husband exclaims with, “What do you mean?!”</p><p>In any other situation, he would find their reactions hysterical, but he hasn’t got time to feel that way, it is getting late and he really wants to be on a train tonight. “That’s all there is to say. I’m going away for a week, Cho tell Abbott.”</p><p>“With Lisbon?” The FBI agent queries, still trying to get his head around what is going on.</p><p>“What happened?” Grace asks, also feeling that bewilderment.</p><p>“Nothing happened. I’ve got to go.” And with that, the curly-haired man shoots off towards the elevators with only one person on his mind. Lisbon.</p><p>The group of friends sit motionless at the table, hotel workers and other guests passing on by like nothing had just happened, but to them something monumental has occurred. Rigsby picks up his glass and stares at the amber liquid before muttering, “I knew they would end up together.” He then knocks back the drink.</p><p>--------------------</p><p>Just after she finished packing up a bag, her phone began to ring with Marcus’ name flashing on the screen. For a few seconds, she just stared at it before switching off the device and leaving the apartment. She couldn’t stay any longer because of the risk of him turning up, trying to get her not to leave. Her and Jane agreed to meet at the train station anyway.</p><p>He left his hotel through the fire exits and service doors to avoid his friends sat in the lobby. He had nothing else to say to them and all he wants to do is get on a train to anywhere with Lisbon without thinking about the consequences of that.</p><p>When he gets to the station, he immediately spots her stood by a wall of timetables, her foot tapping out of nervousness. Impulsiveness isn’t something she is known for but maybe she can be that person. “You’re here!” She says as soon as she spots him, any edginess dripping away from her and a smile overtaking her features. “There are overnight trains to Florida, Chicago and Atlanta but we haven’t got long to decide.”</p><p>“I’m guessing you don’t want to go to Chicago.” He knows her so well, she thinks, the last thing she wants to do in this moment is runaway to her home city which she made a goal as a young person to escape from. Too many bad memories. “And I’m not the biggest fan of Florida, so Atlanta?”</p><p>“Atlanta sounds good to me. What are we going to do?” Her excitement about the prospect of their trips both pleases and surprises him. He would have thought that she would have been more cut up than this, leaving the night before her wedding.</p><p>He expects that she will get emotional later on when it all sinks in and when that happens, he will be there for her. “I don’t know. We could rent a car, do some sightseeing…eat some good food.”</p><p>“Sounds great. I will get the tickets, the train leaves in twenty minutes.” She drops her luggage to the floor. “You can stay and watch our stuff. Doesn’t need both of us queueing.”</p><p>“Yeah…” He murmurs, still trying to process what is going on. The thought of Marcus Pike crosses his mind, and he does feel bad for him. This may be what he wants but it means another man is losing the person he cares about.</p><p>Lisbon recognises his uncertainty and remembers what he said earlier about him loving her being scary to him. She understands why. Not only do they have so much to lose, if it goes wrong then their friendship is inevitably over, and he doesn’t have many close relationships in his life so if he loses one then it is noticeable. He also has had trouble letting people close to him after what happened to his family, letting her in is a risk but it is one he is willing to take.</p><p>However, she understands his insecurity. They both carry baggage that makes forming attachments difficult, but they’ve managed to sustain a platonic relationship for a long time now, how much harder will a romantic one be? “Before I go.” She utters which grab his attention, followed by an action that make his worries slip away like they were never even there in the first place.</p><p>She reaches up to cup his face, bringing him down to meet her and their lips connect. A kiss which is delicate and adoring but is so understated that people around them do bat an eyelid. It may look so ordinary but to them it is far from that, this is a statement of love and affection.</p><p>The kiss feels so right, like they have done it many times before because it was so easy, but the fireworks they’re experiencing makes it feel new. When she pulls away, he immediately wants to embrace her and kiss her once more, but time isn’t on their side and she needs to get the tickets before it is too late.</p><p>It is like Jane is dreaming, this is really happening, the wedding is off, and she is escaping with him. He cannot help but think about how this chaos could have all been avoided if he spoken up months ago. He also thinks about what may have happened if he didn’t go round to visit her tonight.</p><p>Now, they are going off on an adventure together, if you had told either of them at the start of the day that by the end of it the wedding will be cancelled and they will be travelling to Atlanta, they would have not believed it.</p><p>Even complicated people deserve a happy ever after and together, Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon, can achieve just that.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Fin.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading, let me know your thoughts.</p><p>I have written/been writing a Jisbon series called the "Together" series. There are three books up (the first two completed and the third ongoing) which are a little more adult in places but any "adult" content is warned in the chapters so please check out those stories if you want.</p><p>The first book is called, "Damaged Together" (set after S4E23), the second is "Back Together" (set around and after S6E9) and third is "Always Together" (set after the show ended).</p><p>Thanks again for reading.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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